Mumbai: Widespread anger has erupted among nurses working under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after a significant portion of their March 2026 salaries was allegedly withheld without prior notice. According to union representatives, thousands of nurses received only 10% to 20% of their monthly pay despite completing full-duty schedules.
Financial Distress
The union claims that the withheld amount ranges between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh per employee, pushing many into financial distress. Advocate Prakash Devdas, President of the Municipal Health Service Employees’ Union and Convenor of the BMC Workers and Employees Federation, said the sudden salary reduction has severely impacted employees.
“With EMIs automatically debited from their accounts, many nurses fear penalties and loan defaults. Managing essential household expenses, children’s education, and medical costs has become extremely difficult,” Devdas said.
Union Condemns ‘Arbitrary’ Deduction
The union has strongly condemned the move, calling it “arbitrary and unjust.” It argued that any salary deductions must be communicated at least a month in advance, as discussed previously with municipal authorities and in line with provisions of the Payment of Wages Act. “Many nurses work in rotating shifts, which change frequently. In such a scenario, maintaining accurate attendance becomes difficult. They should be paid their full salary, with any necessary adjustments made in the following month if they were actually on leave,” said Advocate Devdas.
BMC officials, however, have cited administrative reasons linked to the financial year-end process. A circular issued on March 2, 2026, directed departments to finalize attendance and leave records earlier than usual. As per the directive, if an employee’s attendance is not recorded in the biometric system, leave applications must be submitted within a specified timeframe and approved by reporting officers.
The circular further stated that in cases where attendance is not updated—whether due to technical issues, external duty, or election work—officials must record it within seven days. Failure to update records by the deadline results in the system marking such days as “ANM” (absenteeism not maintained).
Under revised rules, salaries corresponding to these ANM days are withheld until verification is completed. The BMC has assured that withheld amounts will be released once attendance records are corrected.
Agitation Warning
Despite this clarification, the union has warned of agitation if the issue is not resolved promptly, stressing that healthcare workers should not bear the burden of administrative lapses.
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